Precious ME Time…..

I have been so busy. Sometimes I lost track of the things I do and even forget I gotta eat…. worse of all, having troubles sleeping because so much to think about…. What happen to the things i used to love to do when I need to breakout. As you aged, the surroundings change and so do you.

This is my first post of 2012. To my precious deceased friend Stephen, you are not forgotten. I’ve always think about our night cycling adventures to and fro, from AMK to East Coast. I have a lot to thank you for… and cycling without you makes a lot of differences. Also my lil’ brother, jiejie misses you like crazy. How come you are not visiting me in my dreams anymore? I figured you are already at a better place and properly taken care of.

Family wise, absolutely hate it. Most dysfunctional and nothing’s right.

Year 2011 was hectic but a very fruitful year. I had witnessed a number of blissful union of marriages. As for myself I don’t see that coming too soon…. the most common question I’ve been asked. Booooo~~~ Then I finally got myself a secondhand DSLR at a unbelievable deal, something which I has been considering for a long long time. Micro 4/3 or bulky DSLR =(

Also completed the one-year Capstone Project (YAY) and finally resumed Japanese Language lessons. I am saving so hard to visit Japan now…

Best of all, I met so many wonderful colleagues. Imagine the fear when an I.T. person switches to healthcare industry. I never thought I will last 2 years here… its the people who make this experience goodness and bearable. LOVE them so much… I hope to adapt as well when I finally graduate and start all over in a new working environment. The old saying to myself, “do good and it will come back to you.”

Mention about coming back, guess what ! I have been reconnecting with NICI plush products after 7 years losing touch with the brand. NICI is from Germany and they design really cute animal plushs! My first NICI love was Hampy Porkland and if I do recall, NICI’s plushs were pretty expensive those days. And NICI seems to have all my favorite animals – pigs and sheeps. Last year by sheer chance I found out about the Jolly sheep series. My, my, I cannot resist! Just look at their killer smiles…..

The Jolly Sheeps gathered to congrat “Just Married” couple. New series launched only this year. Hear say that it is selling like crazy !

Hampy Porkland was missing coz he needs to guard the car ;)

“Just Married” made me gaga~~~~~

And here’s my favourite photo of Jolly Blue taken with my new camera. Setting was in Royale Bintang Hotel, Jolly Blue gazing at ”Diamond in the Sky” – the magnificent Menara Tower…

2012
02/16
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Bidding Farewell to 2011.

Year 2011 has been fruitful and full of heart-warming events. Attended a number of ROMs (Registration of Marriage), babies boom (and blue), Auntie May returns to Singapore, looking forward to end of university life, looking forward to leave my healthcare job, made some new friends, resuming Japanese language class, etc.

My best of all – a secondhand EOS 550D body paired with Tamron A16. Thank you Dr. Chung and Yuchun.

Never forget my first PNS Canon A70 that got me intrigued into photography. It begins in 2005. A70 was good enough to teach myself the concepts on exposure, aperture, ISO, and white balance. It was meant to take pictures of my toy collection. Then I got a little more serious and bought Casio’s EX-P505 – a semi-DSLR. Love the swivel LCD; it’s macro capability. All goodness of it can be found in my Flickr page. =)

Then there is Canon G10, super love this one which drago and I still use till this day. Took a lot of beautiful pictures during our travels. Superb colors and all.

-rub hands-

As for EOS 550D…. MY GOD !!! I finally got meself a DSLR after so long !!!! SHYET!!

From PEN PL1 to PL3, I have been thinking about it for a long time. Micro 4/3 or a hefty-sized DSLR for a girl my size. Finally decided to go DSLR because of the wide selection of lenses available to Canon, and yea… lenses are crucial for beautiful pictures. In the long run, recording good standard videos will be beneficial…

So I brought my new baby to Malaysia for some test shots. ^.^

Saturday Night Fever Grand Finale 2011 at Sepang (not too familiar with the models, would be helpful if you can identify and leave in comments. =D)

Tried the panning technique, failed terribly at first due to the settings in dim environment. Managed to set it eventually. Phew.

some teaser pictures first ;)

Image

Then on 10 December 2011 where a total lunar eclipse is supposed to take place. Atlas we did not get the best view at Sepang =((((

Back to the city, we stayed at Royale Bintang Hotel, Sky Hotel (at Selayang) and Ancasa Hotel.

As usual, brought one of the Jolly with me. ;)

 Jolly Blue gazing at Menara KL Tower…

Didn’t do any shopping at Bintang Walk area and we only wandered around aimlessly… so we hopped to Sky Hotel the next day at Selayang area where Batu Caves is very nearby. After a sumptuous breakfast, we arrived Batu Caves and registered for the tour. No flash is allowed and torches are provided for everyone. Rule to follow is we should not point the lights upward to stir the bats from their slumber..

Thereuopoda, a long-legged centipede. the only fauna in the cave i managed to capture.

Beautiful shot of a rooster captured by drago.

Also went to KLCC Aquaria. Parking was a major hassle. Lesson learnt – go there by monorail if you need to travel around KL city.

 What we saw is only 30% of the original size of wild sharks.

  A school of ugly piranha. we stayed to witness how piranha snap up meat.

RM35 for malaysian citizens is a little expensive when there is nothing much at Aquaria. Was hoping to see more aquarium stuff instead of little live galleries of water faunas such as tadpole, snakes or frogs. It was a little disappointing nonetheless…

****to be updated with more pictures taken at Genting***

2011
12/26
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Up Out and Away
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Inside my bucket list ….

Something traumatic happened at work today. I was attending to a patient when a lady rushed in the clinic and said someone had collapsed. My colleague and doctor immediately rushed out to the site. I was alone in the clinic baffled and lost. My responsibility is to tend to the clinic and I dial 995. First time emergency had happened during my shift; first time dialing 995. I hid my anxiousness while 2 nice patients prayed with me for the soonest arrival of the ambulance…… I was shaky in fact.

Then it hit me that I should really take up first aid course, something I have been hesitating for years. what if my nurse colleague is not around with me when emergencies happen again? I learnt that the old man most likely to be gone as they desperately tried for resuscitation , I salute my heroic doctor and heroine colleague. Both were visibly affected and traumatized by the experience. The sight was pretty scary as the man was bleeding by the eye socket, nose and mouth, no pulse, flatline, no revival…. Despite the horrific sight, the doc continued mouth-to-mouth while my colleague performed CPR.

Their courage pushed me to stop hesitating and I am proud of them. In matter of life and death, every second matters so much….. I’m finally feeling the importance of it. Will be signing up basic first aid course after exams.

2011
09/04
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Happy Birthday 25th Jolly Mah !!!

25 Happy Birthday Jolly Mah

25 Happy Birthday Jolly Mah

I really, really want to have you… sigh. =(

2011
08/21
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Replacing Xperia Arc X12 (LT15i) Digitizer.

I dropped my one-month old precious Arc while getting out of my car. Never, never leave your smartphone on the lap after use. This advice is for the absent-minded ones like me…. And I cracked my screen quite badly.

Hoping Sony Ericsson would “kindly” grant me a free replacement, or at least for a small fee (hehehe), I went to the Service Center at Bishan and came home utterly disappointed. S$300+++ to replace a new screen, some more have to wait for at least a month due to spare parts shortage. The poor service officer tried explaining in calmly manner when i bellowed that I could fix my car’s windscreen instead with that sum of money; and how disappointed I am with SE’s product. Sigh. I knew nothing can be done if I want my screen fix ASAP ASAP.

I called the Service Center at Wisma Atria and the same reply was returned to me. Seriously, I was so low in the mood and I thought of giving up the Arc and get iPhone 4. Replacing iPhone 4 screen only cost $100 or less lor. The Ah Beng repair stores said my phone would worth less than S$200 under that condition !! Might as well keep the $888 phone and burn it at home. TMD. More bad news, the ah bengs cannot guarantee to fix the screen perfectly because the model is so new and arrival of spare part would take 1-3 months.

I was in despair and called my sista WZ to let out my sorrow =((((( He said I should calm down, and I will always find my way. He’s right…..

Tried my luck at eBay and bought the new digitizer from a nice seller. I was elated when my parcel from Hong Kong arrived within a week. Decided to document the process of replacing the cracked screen (or digitizer). I think it is useful for fellow X12 users who might be facing the same heartache. Pics below :

(Disclaimer: The content below serves as general information to X12 users, especially those with cracked screens. This is not a guide. It is a brief documentation of how I attempted to replace my cracked screen. Hence it is at your own risk and I bear no responsibilities or whatsoever.)

Stuff to prepare – finger cots (coz i have sweaty palms…), philip driver (the crossed type was used for spectacles..), star screwdriver, plastic blade or tough guitar pick or useless credit card, double-sided tape.

Left: Original screen, freshly cracked. Right: new digitizer arrived in an aluminium case box !!

I did a safety remove of SD card and switched off my phone. My heart was thumping wildly. Will I ever see my Arc wakes up after this surgical procedure ?

Remove the back battery cover, remove battery, remove SD card and SIM card.

Unscrew all 6 screws at the side. Now, get ready the plastic blade (pick or card) to slide the black frame.

It feels a little tight because the frame is secured by cache clips around…. gently slide the blade underneath the chrome side of the frame. Force the frame in an upward motion… The Up/Down volume button might drop out at this point… pic below after the frame is seperated from main body.

Note that the black frame is remove... exposing the PCB inside. Take note of the areas circled in red.

See three red circles in the above picture ? Remove the black parts one by one, this is to seperate the yellow flexible ribbons that connect the screen/digitizer to the main body.

Tuck the freed yellow ribbons underneath the PCB…

Tuck ribbons under PCB, beware of the slim silver cable & slim ribbon beside the phone. Very carefully, we are going to flip the phone over now.

Careful of the silver wire and slim ribbon at the sides (circled in red). Remove the loose parts such as the camera lens etc (as indicated by red arrows). Almost ready to flip the phone gently now.

The PCB is still attached to main body as we flip over the phone. Now, get ready to remove the screen/digitizer !!

Much to my relief, the screen/digitizer was secured by double-sided tape instead of permanant glue. Use the blade or pick to remove the whole piece of screen in an upward motion. I cracked my screen further at this point =.=

TADAH !! The whole screen/digitizer is out ! Clean away the residue and unwanted double-sided tape.

Clean the sides before sticking on fresh double-sided tape. Make sure the surfaces both sides are cleaned to enhance the stickiness…

Stick the new screen/digitizer onto the frame. Align it properly (refer to picture above)…

Do the reverse steps to fix back the complete phone… very fast from here =)

Completed. New screen/digitizer. WORKING PERFECT !!!

I have been using the new screen for a week now. Working fine, no glitches or whatsoever. Just like the original =)

2011
06/16
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Android
computer
Sony Ericsson
Xperia Arc
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May I have some peace, love & support.

19 May 2011 onwards has been eventful and pushed my emotion quotient to the extreme. I would rather die if not for Aunt May and Aunt Lilian. Funny thing is, they were the ones who fully empathized my situation when i needed the most help.

Not my parents, not my boyfriend. Not the people who matter the most and I feel utterly lonely.

Ever since my sister was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, it is a lifelong medical condition that I hope would bond this family closer. To my exasperation, my father has no clue about the kind of trouble my sister might face forever. Still happy in his own string of affairs which affect my mum, who cannot and will not behave rational. So people are telling me I am the luckiest daughter because he gave me a Mini Cooper. YOU HAVE NO CLUE AT ALL, you have no rights to make judgement like that. That damn car was given out of guilt, not love. What is there for you to be envious about ? WTF.

I am not complaining about having to take care of my sister, who is currently recuperating at home after her major op – thymectomy. Our father only shows his superficial concern, our mother lost in her sea of thoughts. My sister and I are disappointed because we couldn’t feel their presence anymore. I am determine to make sure my sister recieves the best care at this point of time. She maybe the most spoilt, lazy and untidy child. For that I am getting repeated hints I shouldn’t take over my mother’s caregiving role.

If the main caregiver can no longer provide, I know I will regret forever if I do not take over. For the past few weeks, I guarded my sister’s diet closely. Our mother stop cooking because her husband prefers to dine outside. So my sister has to suffer ?? Aunt Lilian has been providing our lunches and dinners for the past 4 days. I AM SO RELIEVED.

I am proud of my sister because she did not whine about her pain and suffering all these times. She braved and endured the ordeals without complaints. She has been cooperative with the meals I am providing. Jie Jie is eating the same food too.

Her recovery is my first priority now.

2011
06/04
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Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc.. in my hands.. at last !!!

Good old C903 finally broke down and it’s time to get a new phone. Few models I had in mind were Nokia N8, BB Torch, iphone 4, and Xperia™ arc. All I wanted was a phone that is packed with better camera (and features)… and it should fit nicely into my pockets.

Toyed with my sister’s iphone 4 and didn’t quite like it. BB Torch looking like uncle’s walkie-talkie in my palm. N8 kinda outdated, except for its Carl Zeiss lens. Arc has it all of what I want, but huge =(

“Get the Arc lah ! Since I cannot afford the 42″ bravia, i’ll get you the 4.2″ instead.” And Drago was right.

I have been having sleepless nights ever since my first Android machine landed in my hands…. SUPER SUPER LOVE IT TONS ~~~~~~~

Pictures below to show my new love. It looks even sexier in real life….

Keera

Presenting Xperia Arc (Midnight Blue).... and my uber cute niece, KEERA.

Picture above taken with C903. Will be keeping it for interviewing purposes…. the voice-recording and camera is good for mobilephone standard… C903′s camera is packed with lots of useful features such as Shoot Mode, Scene selection, Focus, White Balance, and Effects. 80% of these features were gone in the new Xperia Arc. =((((( Perhaps it’s because the Arc does not belongs to Cybershot family…

Compare to my sister’s iphone 4, Xperia™ arc is feather-light, ultra sleek and thin.

It feels like you didn’t carry anything sometimes… the 4.2″screen driven by Bravia Engine provides great viewing experience, but it is that beauty that suck away the battery life.

I consider Android useful for non-standard users who prefer to manipulate the outlook, function etc. The joy (and pain) of tweaking the phone from almost head to toe….  If you enjoy designing, you might enjoy customizing your unique phone features.

Actually I am behind time already, waited so long for my first touch screen.

Xperia Arc

Comparing mouse & Xperia Arc...

Almost same length as the mouse… but only 1/5 of its thickness. Sweetie Keera =)

Photos and videos were rather grainy under low-light conditions. Moreover there were hiccups a few times during video recordings. I wonder if it is a buggy flaw or something could be wrong with my set =(

Otherwise, under bright environment you will definitely see the HD’s qualities of crisp and clear during playback. Too good for a mobile phone, that is. In addition, the sound quality of the music is good… typical of Sony…

Below are some photos and video taken by Xperia Arc. Sometimes I am impressed by the qualities, sometimes no.Once again,  I wish they would pack all those wonderful features back like C903 and k850i did…… or maybe there is an app I should look for…

auto mode

Taken during broad daylight. Find it grainy. Gonna test a few more rounds and season the phone a bit more.

auto mode

No flash, taken under spot light.

No flash, normal room light. Dim condition.

Colors are true to our eyes… Lastly….. Behold….

HD Video. But didn’t do the Arc justice under dim lighting =( Will be playing around with it more, guess the Arc needs more time to be seasoned.

Xperia™ arc is my 5th Sony Ericsson to date…. k850i was my favorite Cybershot, and Xperia for it’s Android platform, kickass screen, HD video etc. I hope to update more videos and photos, and see improvement in that area =)

2011
04/20
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“单身万岁” Long Live The Singles

Cousin Ye  and his team mates have been working on this self-production MV diligently for months. Time and efforts have not been wasted, if I could say so…. Not a big fan of canto rap, but the 味道 is punky with a hint of satire humor focusing on the main character – who is single and unwanted…. enjoy =)

单身万岁 Long Live The Singles

 

Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/saxoncci

2011
03/27
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giving up.

i have to give up my graduation trip. i have to give up my dream camera. i have to give up a part of my lifestyle.

all for someone(s) who is worth it.

fucking hate my life now. it is a magnitude 8.9 crisis. you fucking rock my world.

2011
03/17
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Up Out and Away
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“micro-sized building block” – nanoblock

Happened to find out about this wonderful lego-like jigsaw puzzles so recently. Originated from Japan, it has already been selling in Singapore since January 2010 and not difficult to find. I am meeting YC this friday to get my hands on my first nanoblock at Toy’r'us, but I couldn’t wait any longer and decided to find out more first…

Here’s what I’ve found out:

I could get it at OG. We have one OG opposite Sim Lim Square. I could happen to pop by while on the way to work. Teeheehee.

It was love at first sight. The last time I felt so much affection was Stikfas, prior was Toy2r (Qee). Just yesterday I had a new addition and still very much in love with the former. As of today, I realised I am up for anything miniature and brilliant. Now I can continue to dream about my showcase cabinet to display all collection. Can’t do anything about it because I was told many times again that we might be moving out. It is really frustrating when it never happen, even more so disappointed about my lack of efficiency to house them properly… I guess I have an idea how my future house should be. It must have a computer room aka theatre room with good sound system and mini bar, a room to display my collection, books, CDs etc, one airy and bright kitchen, bedroom with damn good view. Hrmmmmmmm~~~~~

Happy pictures below !

 nanoblock - Electric Guitar Behind nanoblock is OG, where i bought my first love.

nanoblock - Electric Guitar your love never fails to look beautiful at any angles.

nanoblock - Electric Guitar Setting up, the Infant Stage.

nanoblock - Electric Guitar top view.

nanoblock - Electric Guitar Almost there !! -rub hands-

Goomba posing with Electric Guitar. Not looking very pleased. Obviously. Goomba posing with Electric Guitar. Not looking cool, not looking pleased either. He has no hands to smash the guitar like dude on the stage… poor evil mushroom.

nanoblock - Electric Guitar Finally meeting my new love after so long !!

2011
03/08
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Toy Stories
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